In February 2025, two important courses took place at the Ana Fonio farm in Senegal, attracting numerous participants from Germany, Europe and West Africa. These intensive workshops provided valuable knowledge about permaculture and syntropic agroforestry and combined theory and practice in a unique way. The events were a complete success for both the participants and the trainers.
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Two intensive weekends in which I learnt more about permaculture and syntropy than in months of theory. Valentin Pallutt, Student
Basic workshop
The basic course taught the essential concepts of permaculture: the permaculture ethic, the principles of the soil network, the food pyramid and the essential importance of âFeed the Groundâ. The participants – including gardeners, representatives of NGOs and multipliers from various fields – particularly appreciated the balanced mix of theory and practical application. Sabine Buske, a participant, said enthusiastically: ‘The ratio of theory and practice was a good mix. The holistic connection between people and nature made me think about my attitude. I will soon be putting what I learnt into practice at Ferme YamalĂ© .’
Workshop on syntropic agroforestry
The advanced course focussed intensively on syntropic agroforestry systems. An important focus was âGreening the Desertâ, which shows how resilient, fertile landscapes can be created in arid regions. Djibril ManĂ©, a farmer from Kounkoudiang, summarised his impressions: â The workshop helped me to better understand food forest systems. It was extremely inspiring to work in such a constructive framework. The opportunity to work on existing systems on the Ana Fonio farm gave the course an additional, valuable dimension. ‘
Success factor: organisation and teamwork
Under the leadership of Claudia and Jens, the courses were held bilingually in French and German, making them accessible to a broad target group. Claudia emphasised: âIt’s always exhausting, but at the end of the day we are happy! Our teamwork is constantly improving and the support of volunteers from Africa and Europe has contributed significantly to our success. ‘
Looking to the future: expanding the initiatives
Some participants suggested extending the courses to three weeks or spreading them out over several weeks. This would enable a deeper familiarisation with the topics and increase sustainable learning success. At the same time, however, this poses a financial challenge that needs to be considered in the coming period.
The new government of Senegal is increasingly focussing on sustainable agriculture. This offers an exciting opportunity to actively support the development with the expertise of FoodForestNetwork. Our aim is to present the complex (syntropic) agroforestry model prominently at future conferences and to provide impetus for increased investment in agroforestry systems.
Regine Johnson, an enthusiastic participant, puts it in a nutshell: â Permaculture means sowing little paradises everywhere. We can start at any moment of our lives. The knowledge of our grandparents combined with today’s technologies offers solutions to the major crisis of climate change. ‘
Want to join in?
If you feel inspired and want to learn more about the fascinating possibilities of permaculture and agroforestry systems, you can find more information about new courses and initiatives on the FoodForestNetwork website. The future is in our hands – let’s shape it together!
